 "Pathankot: Security forces personnel stand guard at road near the Indian Air Force base that was attacked by militants in Pathankot, Punjab on Saturday. PTI Photo")
Both India and Pakistan rushed to protect the fragile India-Pakistan dialogue, resumed just days ago, from fierce heat as five, maybe more, militants who had entered India three days ago from Bahawalpur, Pakistan, tried to attack an Indian Air Force (IAF) base at Pathankot in the early hours of Saturday morning.
While the Ministry of External Affairs said it was too early to say anything while operations were still going on - indicating India was suspending judgement about official Pakistani involvement in planning the attack - Islamabad denied involvement and said it would continue to support talks with New Delhi. "Pakistan condemns terrorist incident in Pathankot in which many precious lives have been lost. Pakistan remains committed to partner with India and other countries in the region to eradicate the menace of terror," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said from Islamabad.
The foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan are to meet to structure the resumed dialogue between the two countries on 15 January.
Keeping India's powder dry, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar held a high-level meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the three service chiefs at South Block. But Indian ministers refrained from criticising or attacking the Pakistani official establishment. Minister of State for Home Kiran Rijiju confined himself to saying India had credible information that the attackers were sponsored by some elements from across the border. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, speaking at the BJP headquarters, said the resumed dialogue with Pakistan cannot be revoked due to "one attack" adding "unless you talk terror, terror will not come down". After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lahore initiative, Javadekar said the onus was on Pakistan to keep the solemn promise given to India in 2004 that it would not allow its land to be used for terrorism. "This process (talks) cannot be destroyed due to one attack... Pakistan is our neighbour. You cannot change your neighbour, you can change friends and therefore we must continue with the talks but talks have to be mainly on the issue of terrorism and that's what exactly India is doing," Javadekar said. Pakistan will have to walk the talk on the issue of terrorism, he added.
The attack by terrorists, suspected to belong to the Jaish-e-Mohammed, took place at around 3.30 am and three security personnel, including a Garud commando of the IAF, were killed. Four terrorists were also killed by the security forces. The militants entered India and communicated with Pakistan - Indian intelligence traced four phone calls between the militants in Pathankot and Pakistani handlers between 12.35 am to 1.40 am on Saturday. Before that, they had stopped the car of a Superintendent of Police on the Jammu-Pathankot highway and had killed one person while throwing the other occupants out. This car is believed to have been used to bring them to the Air Force base. However, there are many gaps in the movements of the militants and it is not clear where the point of ingress into India lay.
The Jammu and Kashmir border is under a thick snow blanket and the Line of Control is guarded by the Army in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts while the International Border is guarded by the Border Security Force. Given that in recent times Punjab has become the new area for militant attacks - just months ago a police station was similarly attacked and a gunfight raged for several hours before the Indian side flushed the militants out - worries have been expressed that there may be local Indian involvement or collaboration of domestic Sikh groups with Pakistani militants. However, in this attack there is no evidence of any local involvement.
But the attack did provide fodder to the Opposition Congress party which has been in the forefront of a sharp interrogation of the government on the reasons for the resumption of the dialogue with Pakistan."It (the attack) is a matter of serious concern. Will the PM take up the issue with Pakistan now that he has recently visited Pakistan?" asked Congress leader R S Surjewala. "How does the government propose to control and check terror coming from Pakistan? These are a few issues that Prime Minister Modi needs to address," he added. "First in Udhampur, then in Dinanagar in Gurudaspur and now in Pathankot. These terrorists wore army fatigues, they kidnapped vehicles and they consequently attack army or other sensitive installations," he said. Surjewala also said that now that in the winter season the infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir is not possible, Punjab was being targeted by the terrorists.
Congress leader Ahmad Patel said: "We are with the Government in the fight against terrorism, we all must fight together. The Pathankot attack should be condemned outright, but that's not enough. This, happening after a week of PM meeting Nawaz Sharif, raises serious questions.” Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh said: "those who do not wish to see peace between India and Pakistan will begin to politicise the attack and make anti-Pakistan comments in order to fuel the feud". Operations were still on at the time of writing to ascertain whether any militants were roaming free. Security has been beefed up on the Punjab-Jammu highway and also in the capital.
